Best Environmental Science Schools Near Concord, NC (2026)

Concord, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs. Concord has a population of about 106,518. Median household income is $84,752 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $82,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Environmental Science Schools to Concord

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near Concord, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Concord city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Concord. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Catawba College

Salisbury, NC 22.3 miles from Concord
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,793
Avg net price $17,879/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC 54.9 miles from Concord
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,158
Avg net price $28,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, NC 67.4 miles from Concord
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,440
Avg net price $10,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Elon University

Elon, NC 80.2 miles from Concord
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,545
Avg net price $41,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 81.5 miles from Concord
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,836
Avg net price $16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, NC 94.7 miles from Concord
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,407
Avg net price $10,260/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 95.9 miles from Concord
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,200
Avg net price $11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Warren Wilson College

Swannanoa, NC 102.7 miles from Concord
  • 4 year
24.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,260
Avg net price $21,249/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina environmental science page.


Environmental Science Wages Near Concord

Concord is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$72,730Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$74,748
Conservation Scientist$50,300Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$51,696
Environmental Engineer$82,840Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$85,139
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$64,620NC statewide$66,413

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Concord at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population106,518Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$84,752Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Concord-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Concord, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Concord. The closest is Catawba College in Salisbury, NC (22.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Elon University (80.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Concord?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Concord are: Environmental Engineer ($82,840), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($72,730), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($64,620). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Kannapolis instead of Concord?

Kannapolis, NC is 5.7 miles from Concord and has its own set of local environmental science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Concord an affordable place to study environmental science?

Concord’s median household income of $84,752 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Concord while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Environmental Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Concord

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Concord:

Data verified: September 1, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.